The Astronomy Tower Jump
by wingnutdawn
Summary: Albus Dumbledore wants to attempt a new Muggle Sport he heard of durng his travels ( Only he knows where he has been and seen) and insists that Severus needs to join in on the 'fun.'All it takes is some elsasticised rope and some harness... Oh yeah and the tallest tower Hogwarts has.


**The Astronomy Tower Jump**

The Astronomy Tower faced west and located above the main entrance to Hogwarts not far away from the Headmasters tower containing the Headmasters( Or Headmistress) office and living quarters. The view of the Quidditch pitch and mountains surrounding Hogwarts is breathtaking from either of them.

It became a focal point in one of Dumbledores plans to bring a little fun into the life of the long suffering Potions Master who needed to learn to get along with others instead of cooping himself up inside his lab in the deep dark dungeons. In Dumbledore's opinion it was not a very healthy lifestyle for the thin, spider-like man whose black shoulder-length hair was greasy due to the constant exposure to the potion fumes.

Upon one of Dumbledore's travels he had come across something that he found very interesting and really wanted to try it out himself. Of course he thought of Severus when he decided he wanted to attempt this new Muggle sport he had discovered. He Floo called and insisted that the Potion Master come to his office as he wished to speak to him.

"I believe that is exactly what you are doing now." muttered Severus as he cast a stasis charm over the gently bubbling cauldrons. He then left the lab and sealed it tight against intruders. Fortunately it was Saturday and most of the youngsters were outside while the Griffindor Quidditch team was having a last minute practice before the game which was scheduled for after lunch.

"Bungee?" A look of extreme annoyance crossed Severus' face, Why would you call me away from my work to ask for a muggle rubber eraser?"

"No, no my boy. Not a muggle eraser. Though that is a Muggle artefact that might be fun to get for Arthur." answered Albus as he made a note to himself to do just that. His eyes twinkled madly. " I was referring to the sport known as Bungee jumping!"

"Jumping erasers?' Severus edged his way slowly backwards, "If you don't mind I think I should floo call Minerva or better yet, Madame Pomfrey."

"Don't be silly." Albus scolded Severus as he wandlessly caused the canister of Floo Powder to move out of the Potion Masters reach. "Bungee jumping could be described as free-falling toward the ground with a interwoven cord made with muggle elastic strapped to ones ankles." Albus popped a lemon drop into his mouth as he pretended to not notice the look of horror that flashed across Severus' face. "I'd love to try it at least once. Just think of the sensation of falling towards the ground that you'd have and then bouncing away just before you hit the ground."

"I'd rather not." Severus said drily as he folded his arms across his chest., "You do remember that you are well over a hundred years old yourself."

"Age is in the mind dear boy." Albus said tapping his forehead with his index finger. "One must learn to be flexible about learning and combining the new with the old if one wants to keep in the loop."

"You want me to learn to be ... Loopy?" Severus whispered forbiddingly as he glowered menacingly at an amused Albus with narrowed eyes.

At that moment an Elf popped into the room to announce, " The spongie jump is ready headmaster."

"Good, Thank you Lemon Drop. We will be there shortly." The Headmaster told the little Elf who looked too happily demented for Severus liking.

We?" Severus' voice rose as the Headmaster nodded. "Did I not mention that I have to finish several potions for the Hospital Wing... Which from the sounds of this little talk I may need to whip up some extra Skele-Grow."

"Severus don't be so dense." Albus fixed him with 'The Look'. Severus hated that one as it usually meant the old coot had come up with 'a great idea' concerning a 'very special project', which in turn involved him.

"Now as I was explaining, Muggles in some cultures have for centuries jumped from tall wooden platforms with vines tied to their ankles as a test of their courage and passage into manhood."

"You inferring that I am a coward?" Severus' pale face which normally verged upon the same shade that one associated with ghosts, darkened as he leaned over and slapped his hands on the desk while glowering dangerously at the elderly wizard. He hated heights for one and if his suspicians was correct about this odd converstion, he was not going to be cajoled into jumping from some invernal wooden platform with vines around his legs.

"No I wasn't saying anything of the sort my boy, I just thought it is one of the interesting ways how Muggles strive to prove themselves worthy." Albus reached over and patted the pale hand resting on top of his desk.

"Though it is historically considered a test, nowadays the muggles consider it a sport and have been jumping from all sorts of things like bridges, dams, hot air balloons..." Albus paused as he tapped his upper lip with his forefinger. " I suppose they use anything that is really high. It is considered a robust outdoor activity that simply involves junping from a tall structure connected to a large elastic cord.

"So basically you are suggesting that you would like to try hanging helplessly in mid air on a bit of rope till somebody takes pity on you and reels you back up or drops you the rest of the way to the ground?" Severus' eyebrow rose as he contemplated taking Albus face in his hands and saying "Are You in there?"

"You do lot more than just hang there!Its like a ride." Albus said defensively, "When you pop." His hand jerked up and down then moved his hand side to side. " the bungie cord springs you away over here and then way over here till it stops... like a pendulum. Its kind of soothing don't you think? He stopped and offered Severus another lemon drop which was refused.

'Soothing?' Severus wondered. He decided to play 'dumb' in hopes he would be let off from participating in this new idea of Albus' and snarled. "I fail to see how this affects me, Headmaster."

Behind the Headmaster his familiar- the Phoenix called Fawks flapped his fiery wings and trilled his opinion which was interpreted as 'I would like a treat."

"You _will _accompany me Severus." Albus rose up from his chair and after giving Fawkes a treat he said brightly "Now! lets go over to the Astronomy Tower and have some fun free falling shall we?"

"You are going to drve me over the edge of insanity someday. Free falling is something _Trained _Muggle skydivers do from muggle airplanes." Severus hoped that somebody... anybody who could influence Albus to give up this plan would appear before they made it to the tower but not even the ghosts appeared.

"Really? That's interesting, Maybe we can convince Arthur Weasley to come with us next time." Albus said thoughtfully, "He has a secret ambition to be able to one day, go on one of those Muggle Planes."

"I think not! Anyway, Molly Weasley would string us both up after she got done scolding him." Severus suspected Albus knew somehow that nobody would impede their progress up the rickety stairs to the top of the Astronomy tower where the view of the Quidditch pitch, Black Lake and mountains surrounding them was stupendous. Of course due to the distance, any figures below them looked to be about one-sixth their normal size.

With Lemon Drop helping Albus checked the length and elasticity of the lines and pronounced them perfect to the pleasure of the little Elves who had managed to create the equipment as per Albus' instructions.

Having insisted that both of them participate in this great adventure, Albus transfigured his robes into a rather loud patterned 'space-look' outfit reminiscent of the sixties. Severus shrugged off his voluminous robes leaving him in his shirt and black pants which was spelled to keep from flying about his thin frame. Albus gave his wand to Lemon Drop to hold and with a little persuasion made Severus' do the same.

After the harnesses were properly fitted on both of them Albus then got up and balanced upon the Parapet edge, and then jumped with a raucously loud whoop of joy as he disappeared over the edge with the long cord falling behind him.

Severus had been breathing deeply with his fists clenched with a mixture of anger and worry about what would happen if anything went wrong- such as the elderly Wizards bones breaking or worse - the Headmaster crashing into the ground and dying due to a miscalculation. As the Headmaster jumped Severus stared in horror over the parapet down at the elderly wizard who was Free falling with his arms splayed out and his beard flapping upwards past his head. The ropes attached to his ankles trailing behind him. Now Severus got up on top of the parapet and took a very deep breath and looked once more out toward the Quidditch pitch and the mountains surrounding them before he prepared to jump after the Headmaster.

"It's yous turn to spungie jump now. Headmaster Sir insisted you try it with him." The little Elf flicked his fingers and the reluctant potions Master felt himself being pushed outwards away from the tower. " Dumbledore! " The rest of his eloquent language was lot in the rushing wind.

Severus felt his heart come into his throat as he plummeted toward the ground before the ropes stopped him a mere foot or so from splattering himself -then rebounding back up-slowing down, stopping and then falling again, repeated the whole experience a few times, then ended finally with him swinging back and forth like a pendulum.

Meanwhile at the Quidditch field there was quite a crowd watching the Griffindor team as they flew about. Beaters were hitting the bludgers towards their intended targets and the throwing the Quaffles though the tall loops while Potter kept catching the practice snitch.

Hearing the whoop of joy and an unearthly screams of rage Professor McGonnagal glanced over at the castle and noticed the figure that had been balancing precariously on the edge of the parapet of the Astronomy Tower jump while another one was obviously yelling at him. Then all of a sudden the one jumped the other figure. went over soon after. It took barely a second before what had happened registered and she muttered

_"Merlins beard! those tois... when Ah gie mah hans oan them..."_ then took a deep breath and screamed even louder _"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledair an' Severus T Snape... Ah ne'er! whit insanity hae ye tois come up wi' thes time?"_

"Now we're in for it!" Severus glared as he had felt he was falling to his death till the very last second when he felt the cords around his legs yank him back up a few seconds after Albus."I am going to get even with you .. Somehow." hissed Severus as he swayed helplessly beside the elderly Headmaster.

"But it was fun a huge rush .. Maybe next time we can try that skydiving you mentioned." Albus grinned sheepishly at Severus as they swung in the wind just a few meters from the ground. They couldn't Apparate away or even get their wands out as they were in the small paws of Lemon Drop the little elf who had only done what the Headmaster had ordered.

By now a crowd of staff and students were below watching them as they were being carefully lowered to the ground.

"Wasn't that a great rush Severus? We got to try free falling from an airplane next!" Albus repeated as Severus hadn't answered.

"Wonderful, Having your House Elf shove me off the parapet is not what I was referring to when I said you are gong to drive me over the edge." Severus snpped at Albus as he found himself back on the ground thankful that he had discarded his teaching robes beforehand. "Though come to think of it, you should take up a safe hobby like... maybe Mountain climbing." he said sarcastically as he received his wand back from Lemon Drop who had appeared beside them with both wands in hand.

"What an excellent Idea Severus. I know we aren't ready to summit Mount Everest or K2 but there is the Matterhorn in Switzerland or..." Albus' voice trailed to a stop as he noticed the 'concerned' looks upon both the faces of Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonnagal as they approached them.

Authors Notes:

Couldn't help myself. Albus was itching to try this sport and drag Severus in with him... Hope the pair of them dont get in tooo much trouble with the Medi Witch and Deputy Headmistress... :)

**Merlins beard! those tois... when Ah gie mah hans oan them... **

"Merlins Beard! Those two... When I get my hands on them...

**Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledair an' Severus T Snape... Ah ne'er! whit insanity hae ye tois come up wi' thes time?****"**

_Albus_ Percival Wulfric Brian _Dumbledore_ AND SEVERUS T SNAPE... I NEVER! WHAT INSANITY HAVE YOU TWO COME UP WITH THIS TIME?"


End file.
